Finance Minister reviews progress on ITTMS project

ISLAMABAD, July 11 (APP): Finance Minister, Senator Mohammad
Ishaq Dar Tuesday reviewed progress on the development of border
crossing complexes at Torkham and Chaman under the Integrated
Transit Trade Management System (ITTMS) project.
The progress of the project was reviewed during a meeting which
was chaired by the Finance Minister. Among others, the meeting was
attended by Finance Secretary, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue
(FBR), Quartermaster General of Pakistan Army, Country Director
Asian Development Bank (ADB), DG NLC, Project Director ITTMS at FBR,
and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, ADB, and
Infrastructure Project Development Facility.
The Finance Minister encouraged FBR, NLC, ADB and IPDF to
ensure effective coordination in order to successfully implement the
project in a timely and efficient matter.
The Minister emphasized the strategic importance of the
project from both a security and trade point of view.
He directed that the engineering design of the project at the
two sites may be completed expeditiously, and inclusion of all
essential facilities must be ensured, keeping in view the available
financial resources for the project.
He said that once completed, the project would enable
significant reduction in processing times at the border crossing
points.
The Finance Minister assured his full assistance and support
in order to ensure completion of the project within the scheduled
timelines.
Earlier, the Finance Minister was briefed on the progress of
the project since the previous meeting, chaired by the Finance
Minister in June 2017 before Eid-ul-Fitr.
DG NLC briefed the meeting on the technical aspects and
arrangements of the project, as NLC was responsible for the civil
works of the project.
Country Director ADB said that ADB considers ITTMS as an
important project, and expressed keenness on the part of ADB to work
as a team with all stakeholders on the project.